Har Nebo Cemetery

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Har Nebo Cemetery
Har Nebo Cemetery.jpg
Har Nebo Cemetery
Details
Established1890 [1]
Location
6061 Oxford Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 40°02′21″N75°05′12″W / 40.0391152°N 75.0867980°W / 40.0391152; -75.0867980
Typeprivate
Size16 acres (65,000 m2) [1]
No. of graves>35,000 [2]
Find a Grave Har Nebo Cemetery

Har Nebo Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in the Oxford Circle neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1890, it is the oldest privately owned Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia. It is named for Mount Nebo, a Moabite mountain mentioned as the place where Moses died in the Hebrew Bible on the other side the Jordan River.

Contents

History

The organization was established in 1890 by Isaac Levy as the Har Nebo Cemetery Company. [3] That October, the company was granted permission for the construction of the physical cemetery, [4] located in the 23rd Ward of Philadelphia (rural Frankford). [5] It was built on land belonging to deceased David Williams. [6] Burials date back as far as 1892. [7] In 1906, the boundaries of the cemetery were extended further into undeveloped sections of the 35th Ward. [8] This was due to an outbreak of Smallpox in the area. [3] In 1924, the widening of Devereaux Avenue caused territory losses for the cemetery. [9]

In 1955, 32 stones were damaged when suspected juvenile deliquents went on a spree of valdalism across the cemetery. [10] In 1987, a 17-year-old girl was raped at knifepoint on the property. [11]

Modern issues

A photograph depicting the sunken and overturned gravestones in Har Nebo, June 2022 Har Nebo Condition.png
A photograph depicting the sunken and overturned gravestones in Har Nebo, June 2022

Har Nebo Cemetery is recognized as a cemetery that is, for the most part, in severe disrepair. Many gravestones are knocked over, much of the ground is unkempt, and the cemetery is often inaccessible. [12] A restoration has been undertaken since 2021 by Friends of Jewish Cemeteries to take ownership of and restore the cemetery to its previous condition. [2] [13] [14] [15]

The cemetery also administers Mount Carmel Cemetery. [16]

Notable interments

References

  1. 1 2 Meyers, Allen (1998). The Jewish Community of South Philadelphia. Arcadia Publishing. p. 35. ISBN   0-7524-1202-7.
  2. 1 2 "Over 100 volunteers gather in Oxford Circle to restore historic cemetery". FOX 29 Philadelphia. September 18, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Meyers, Allen (1998). The Jewish Community of South Philadelphia. Arcadia Publishing. p. 35. ISBN   978-0-7524-1202-3.
  4. ↑ "Protest to Council" . Philadelphia Inquirer . October 10, 1890. p. 6. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Legal Notices" . Philadelphia Inquirer . November 1, 1890. p. 6. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  6. ↑ Ordinances and Joint Resolutions of the Select and Common Councils of the Consolidated City of Philadelphia. GMC. 1890. p. 352.
  7. ↑ "Died" . Philadelphia Inquirer . May 4, 1892. p. 6. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  8. ↑ "City Ordinances" . Philadelphia Inquirer . October 17, 1906. p. 14. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  9. ↑ "City Ordinances" . Philadelphia Inquirer . July 16, 1924. p. 27. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Vandals Damage 32 Tombstones" . Philadelphia Inquirer . May 17, 1955. p. 21. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Suspect sought in May 31 rape" . Philadelphia Inquirer . June 21, 1987. p. 477. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  12. ↑ Lowenkron, Hadriana (July 25, 2020). "Locked gates and 4-foot-tall grass: Conditions at 2 Philly cemeteries leave families in anguish". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  13. ↑ Rogelberg, Sasha (November 30, 2022). "Friends of Jewish Cemeteries Completes Second Phase of Restoration Project". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  14. ↑ Inquirer, Kevin Riordan The Philadelphia. "Conserving Jewish cemeteries, one stone at a time". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  15. ↑ "What our photographers saw on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021". Inquirer.com. November 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  16. ↑ Lucas, Phillip (August 4, 2011). "SWEEP to help clean this mess" . Philadelphia Daily News . p. 20. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Gotlieb, Andy (July 30, 2020). "Improvements being made at Har Nebo, Mount Carmel cemeteries". Jewish Exponent.
  18. ↑ "1972 death of Harry Gold revealed". The New York Times. February 14, 1974.
  19. ↑ "Hirschberg Monument to Be Erected Sunday" . Philadelphia Inquirer . November 10, 1938. p. 30. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
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